Title: City Theatre Company RecordsCollection Number: CTC.1991.01Creator: City Theatre Company (Pittsburgh, Pa.).

Collection Dates: 1973-1993Extent: 10.5 linear feet (25 boxes)

Language: English

Abstract:

The City of Pittsburgh created its own theatre company in 1974 called
The City Players. In 1979, the City Players relocated to the University of Pittsburgh and became the City Theatre Company (CTC). This collection contains operational files, correspondence, scripts, production photos, etc., documenting the activities of the CTC from its creation until its move to the South Side of Pittsburgh in 1991.

Finding aid prepared by David Sleasman. Revisions occurred to the finding aid as a part of the encoding process in 2004.

Revision Description:

July 1, 2006:

Converted from EAD Version 1.0 to EAD Version 2002

History

The City of Pittsburgh created its own theatre company in 1974. This company, The City Players, was a troupe that resided in the newly renovated Allegheny Public Theatre on the North Side (now the Hazlett Theatre of the Pittsburgh Public Theatre) and contained a troupe of young professionals that reached out into the community by offering free performances of new plays and classics. The City Players were financed through the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA) and administered by Pittsburgh's Citiparks Department.

In 1979, the company relocated to the University of Pittsburgh and became the City Theatre Company (CTC). The CTC co-produced the inaugural season of the Three Rivers Shakespeare Festival. Both orgnizations eventually became separate entitites, however, the Three Rivers Shakespeare Festival continued to hire actors and directors from CTC from time to time. In 1980, Pitt assisted in renovating a campus building into a 117 seat theatre space which became known as
The New City Theater. Pitt also continued to provide financial support until the severance of the relationship in 1988.

Despite the evolution from a touring troupe to a resident professional company, the CTC continued to provide touring productions as a vital part of its' operation. Tours reached approximately 35,000 children, senior citizens, and other people each year. Local playwrights or the acting company usually wrote the scripts for the touring shows.

In 1988 The City Theatre Company ended its' artistic and financial relationship with the University of Pittsburgh and became a completely independent theatre company. In the summer of 1991, CTC moved into their new quarters located at 57 South 13th Street in the South Side neighborhood of Pittsburgh.

Collection Scope and Content Notes

The City of Pittsburgh created its own theatre company in 1974 known as The City Players. In 1979, the City Players relocated to the University of Pittsburgh and became known as the City Theatre Company (CTC). This collection contains operational files, correspondence, scripts, production photos, etc. showing the activities of the CTC from its creation until its move to the South Side neighborhood of Pittsburgh in 1991.

Arrangement

The City Theatre Company Records are organized into six separate series. All files are arranged alphabetically. Additional scope and content notes are found after the series titles.

Series I. Operational Files, 1975-1988

Series II. Playscripts

Series III. Photographs

Series IV. Oversize Materials

Series V. Additional Operational Files, 1991-1994

Subject Terms

Topics

College theater -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh

Performing arts -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh

Theater -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh

Corporate Names

City Players (Pittsburgh, Pa.).

City Theatre Company (Pittsburgh, Pa.).

Locations

North Side (Pittsburgh, Pa.) -- Intellectual life

Pittsburgh (Pa.) -- Intellectual life

South Side (Pittsburgh, Pa.) -- Intellectual life

Genres/Forms

Theater programs

Category

Theater

Access and Use

Access Restrictions:

No restrictions.

Acquisition Information:

These records were a gift of the City Theatre Company in July 1991.

Preferred Citation:

City Theatre Company Records, 1973-1993, CTC.1991.01, Curtis Theatre Collection, Special Collections Department, University of Pittsburgh

Previous Citation:

City Theatre Company Records, 1973-1993, CTC.21, Curtis Theatre Collection, Special Collections Department, University of Pittsburgh

Processing Information:

This collection was processed by David Sleasman in 1991 to 1992. Revision and rearrangement for the encoded version of the finding aid provided by Andy Newman in November 2004. Information about the collection title and the controlled access terms was extracted from the MARC record in the University of Pittsburgh catalog Voyager ID number: 1468125.

Copyright:

Permission for publication is given on behalf of the University of Pittsburgh as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.

Related Material:

City Theatre Company programs that were acquired with this donation were removed and added to the Curtis Collection's already existing collection in the Pittsburgh programs collection.

Collection Inventory

Series I.Operational Files, 1975-1990

Scope and Content Notes:

These materials consist of the daily business files, correspondence, production memos, internal reports, minutes, etc. of the City Theatre Company. The files are arranged in alphabetical order. Files concerning City Theatre productions are followed by the date of the season in which they were performed.

Box 1

Folder

1

Actor's Equity Association - Contracts

Folder

2

Actor's Equity Association - Correspondence, 1985-1987

Folder

3

Actor's Equity Association - Deputy forms

Folder

4

Actor's Equity Association - Grievance and benefit Forms

Folder

5

Actor's Equity Association - Membership program

Folder

6

Actor's Equity Association - Salaries, 1986-1987

Folder

7

Actor's Equity Association - Small Professional Theatre Contract

Folder

8

Agents - New York

Folder

9

Artists in Education - Pennsylvania Council on the Arts

Folder

10

Attendance reports

Folder

11

Audio-visual return receipts

Folder

12

Auditions - 1985/86 season

Folder

13

Auditions - Cold reading

Folder

14

Beggar's Opera - Press, 1975-1976

Folders

15-17

Board of Advisers

Folder

18-20

Board of Advisers - Correspondence, 1983-1987

Folder

21

Board of Advisers - Fundraising, 1985-1986

Folder

22-24

Board of Advisers - Meeting minutes, 1983-1986

Box 2

Folder

1

Board of Advisers - Meeting minutes, 1986-1987

Folder

2

Bouquet Street Theatre Agreement with the University of Pittsburgh

Folder

3-8

Box office reports, 1982-1988

Folder

9-14

Budget, 1981-1987

Box 3

Folder

1-3

Budget, 1987-1990

Folder

4

By-Laws, 1983

Folder

5

Canterbury Tales - Press, 1980-1981

Folder

6

Children of a Lesser God - Press, 1983-1984

Folder

7

Children of a Lesser God - Program printing, 1983-1984

Folder

8

Chinaman's Whisper - Press, 1978-1979

Folder

9

The Circus - Schedules and memos, 1978

Folder

10

Citiparks Playworks

Folder

11

The City Theatre Blues

Folder

12

Tamer of Horses - Press, 1987-1988

Folder

13

Clarence Darrow - Press, 1988

Folder

14-15

The Comeback, 1977-1978

Folder

16-17

Concessions reports, 1982-1984

Folder

18

Contact sheets

Folder

19-22

Contracts, 1981-1986

Folder

23

Corporate sponsorship

Folder

24-27

Correspondence, 1975-1981

Box 4

Folder

1-5

Correspondence, 1981-1986

Folder

6-8

Fan mail from school tour, 1985-1988

Folder

9

Creative Advancement Awards

Folder

10

Crimes of the Heart, 1984-1985

Folder

11

Curse of the Starving Class, 1981-1982

Folder

12

Curse of the Starving Class - Schedules and memos, 1981-1982

Folder

13

Custodial schedules

Folder

14

Danger: Memory! - Contracts, 1987-1988

Folder

15

Danger: Memory! - Press, 1987-1988

Folder

16

Danger: Memory! - Production rights, 1987-1988

Folder

17

Danger: Memory! - Schedule and memos, 1987-1988

Folder

18

The Danube, 1984-1985

Folder

19

The Day of the Picnic, 1983-1984

Folder

20

Death and Life of Sneaky Fitch - Contracts, 1975

Folder

21

Death and Life of Sneaky Fitch - Press, 1975

Folder

22

Death and Life of Sneaky Fitch - Props list, 1975

Folder

23

Doctor Inspite of Himself - Budget, 1975-1976

Folder

24

Doctor Inspite of Himself - Budget and press, 1975-1976

Box 5

Folder

1-6

Donations, 1984-1987

Folder

7

Donations In Kind

Box 6

Folder

1

Dracula, 1975

Folder

2

Drop Out!

Folder

3

Employee Records, 1981-1982

Folder

4

The Final Hour, 1977-1978

Folder

5

The Final Hour - Prop receipts, 1977-1978

Folder

6

The Final Hour - Tour schedule, 1977-1978

Folder

7

Five Year Plan, 1985-1989

Folder

8

Fool for Love, 1983-1984

Folder

9

Forms (Originals)

Folder

10

La Forza d'Amore, 1978

Folder

11

La Forza d'Amore - Schedules and memos, 1978

Folder

12

Foundation for the Extension and Development of the American Professional Theatre

Folder

13-14

Fund Raising (Mike Vargas), 1987

Folder

15-23

Gateway to Music, including Fan Mail and Outdoor Advertising, 1981-1987

Survey of Performance Accessibility for People with Handicaps in NonProfit Professional Theatres in America

Folder

22

Swashbucklers, 1980-1981

Folder

23-25

Table Manners, 1978-1979

Folder

26

Talking with..., 1984-1985

Folder

27-30

Tamer of Horses, 1987-1988

Folder

31

Telecommunications

Box 12

Folder

1

Theatre Association of Pennsylvania

Folder

2-3

Theatre Communications Group

Folder

4

Theatre rentals

Folder

5

Theatrical structure

Folder

6

Three Rivers Shakespeare Festival

Folder

7

Time sheets

Folder

8

TIX Booth

Folder

9-10

Toad of Toad Hall, 1975-1976

Folder

11

Tours, 1978-1979

Folder

12

Tour sheets

Folder

13-14

Tuesday, 1976

Folder

15

Understudy policy

Folder

16

University of Pittsburgh Department of Theatre Arts - Production calendar, 1986-1987

Folder

17

University/Resident Theatre Association

Folder

18

U.R.T.A./A.E.A. Rules

Folder

19

Volpone, 1977-1978

Folder

20-23

Wings, 1980-1981

Folder

24

Waiting for Lefty, 1977-1978

Folder

25

Work/Study Information

Folder

26-27

Working, 1982-1983

Series II.Playscripts

Scope and Content Notes:

The scripts that are included in this series appear to be plays that were produced, considered for production, or submitted for consideration. They are filed in alphabetical order by title. Included with each production title is the name of the author.

Box 13

Folder

1

Acting Up!

Folder

2

Ah, Youth by E. Fried

Folder

3

All Together Now by E. Pawlikowsky

Folder

4

Assistant Warden by B. Pribram

Folder

5

Beauty and the Beast by M. Brill (adaptation)

Folder

6

Benya the King by R. Schotter

Folder

7

Careless Husband

Folder

8

Chinaman's Whisper by C. Peters

Folder

9

Cocoon by E. Fried

Box 14

Folder

1

Creeps by D. Freeeman

Folder

2

Diviners, the by J. Leonard

Folder

3

Drop Hammer by E. Fried

Folder

4

Dying to Make It

Folder

5

Elegy for Stanley Gorski by E. Fried

Folder

6

Factwino Meets the Moral Majority by SF MimeTroupe

Folder

7

Foolin' Around with Infinity by S. Dietz

Folder

8

Flying Doctor, the by S. Wyman

Folder

9

Futures by M. Green

Folder

10

Hopscotch

Folder

11

I Just Ate My Brain by T. Cumella

Box 15

Folder

1

In the Woods by P. Freundlich

Folder

2

Juketime in Duckberg by L. McCullough

Folder

3

Legend of Sleepy Hollow, the by F. Gaines

Folder

4

Misanthrope by Moliere

Folder

5

Misanthrope [Stage Manager's Prompt Book] by Moliere

Folder

6

Missing Links [Director's Promptbook] by A. Favorini

Folder

7

No Where to Go But Home by C. Cortazzo

Folder

8

Passing Time by T. Cumella

Folder

9

Postcards

Folder

10

Principia Scriptoriae by R. Nelson

Folder

11

Railroad Rag: A Workingman's Entertainment by J. Van Sickle

Folder

12

ReadyGetSet by C. Solomon

Folder

13

Red Keds by H. Leroy

Folder

14

Romeo and Juliet (scenes) - anon adaptation

Box 16

Folder

1

Saloon Society by B. Manville

Folder

2

Second Beginning by E. Fried

Folder

3

Some Things Can't Be Repaired

Folder

4

Steel City [Act III] by A. Favorini

Folder

5

Strider by M. Rozovsky

Folder

6

Subway to Topeka by R. Meredith

Folder

7

Stuff as Dreams Are Made On: A Shakespeare Collage, A Sandoe-DondioSuch (compiled by)

Folder

8

Table Manners

Folder

9

Table Manners [Director's Prompt book]

Folder

10

Take Her Up Tenderly

Folder

11

Tamer of Horses [Director's Prompt book] by W. Mastrosimone

Folder

12

Toad of Toad Hall(adaptation) by K. Grahame

Folder

13

Tomorrow is a Lonely Lady

Folder

14

Trial, the

Folder

15

Used

Folder

16

Unicorn in the Garden

Folder

17

Volpone by B. Johnson

Folder

18

Waiting For Lefty

Folder

19

Wedding Reception in the Pineapple Room

Folder

20

Who Would Write Something Like That?

Folder

21

Wizard of Oz

Series III.Photographs, 1975-1987

Scope and Content Notes:

Boxes 19 and 20 contain photos of productions, actors, and various shots of the theater. Box 21 contains negatives of some of the same photographs.

Subseries 1.Photographs

Box 17

Folder

1

1. Androcles and the Lion

Folder

2

Beggar's Opera, 1976

Folder

3

Beshinich, 'Smokey' George

Folder

4

Bus Stop, 1977

Folder

5

Children of a Lesser God, 1983

Folder

6

Children's Tour, 1986-1987

Folder

7

Chinaman's Whisper, 1979

Folder

8

Performance Classes

Folder

9

Clay People

Folder

10

Comeback, 1978

Folder

11

Crimes of the Heart, 1984

Folder

12

Curse of the Starving Class, 1981

Folder

13

Danube, 1985

Folder

14

Day of the Picnic, 1985

Folder

15

Death and Life of Sneaky Fitch

Folder

16

Dracula, 1975-1977

Folder

17

Fool for Love, 1984

Folder

18

La Forza D'Amore / The Circus, 1978

Folder

19

General - Unidentified, 1978

Folder

20

General - Unidentified rehearsal photos, 1978

Folder

21

Gladys

Folder

22

Greater Tuna

Folder

23

Hawthorne, Myrenna

Folder

24

Hazlett Theatre

Folder

25

Hopscotch

Folder

26

How I Got That Story, 1983

Folder

27

Hypochondriac, 1985

Folder

28

Indians, 1982

Folder

29

Janet Gillespie and Present Co.

Folder

30

Jefferson, David Louis

Folder

31

Josephine: The Mouse Singer, 1984

Folder

32

Ladyhouse Blues, 1983

Folder

33

Lavi, Gay Heit

Folder

34

Loose Ends, 1982

Folder

35

Miles, Barry/Kloss, Eric

Folder

36

Mobile Hymn, 1983

Folder

37

Muffly, Ann

Folder

38

Noah and the Arc, 1977

Box 18

Folder

1

Ozanam Strings

Folder

2

Perfect Party, 1987

Folder

3

Pinsker, Allan

Folder

4

Principia Scriptoriae, 1988

Folder

5

Real Inspector Hound, 1977

Folder

6

La Ronde, 1979-1980

Folder

7

Sesame Street Fire Safety Show

Folder

8

Staff - Miscelanneous including ballgame

Folder

9

Stein, Mary Margaret

Folder

10

Table Manners, 1979

Folder

11

Toad of Toad Hall, 1976

Folder

12

Trial, 1976

Folder

13

Unidentified - Resume shots

Folder

14

Volpone

Folder

15

Wen, Ming-Na

Folder

16

Wings, 1980-1981

Folder

17

Working, 1982

Subseries 2.Negatives

Box 19

Folder

1

Children of a Lesser God

Folder

2

Children's Tour, 1986-1987

Folder

3

Classes - Miscellaneous

Folder

4

Comeback, 1978

Folder

5

Curse of the Starving Class, 1981

Folder

6

Day of the Picnic, 1984-1985

Folder

7

Death and Life Sneaky Fitch, 1975

Folder

8

Dracula, 1976-1977

Folder

9

La Forza / The Circus, 1978

Folder

10

General - Rehearsal, 1978

Folder

11

General, 1978

Folder

12

Hypochondriac, 1984-1985

Folder

13

Indians, 1981-1982

Folder

14

LadyHouse Blues, 1982-1983

Folder

15

Loose Ends, 1981-1982

Folder

16

Mobile Hymn, 1982-1983

Folder

17

Noah and the Ark 1977

Folder

18

Real Inspector Hound 1977

Folder

19

Staff - Including ballgame

Folder

20

Toad of Toad Hall, 1976

Folder

21

Trial, 1976

Folder

22-23

Unidentified

Folder

24

Volpone

Folder

25

Wings, 1980-1981

Folder

26

Working, 1982

Series IV.Additional Operational Files, 1979-1993

Scope and Content Notes:

This addition, donated in February of 1999, contains another series of operational files. The first series of operational files in this collection ran through 1991, this set contains operational files from 1991-1993, with a small amount of material from before 1991. This series is filed alphabetically by folder title and contain the daily business files, correspondence, production memos, internal reports, minutes, etc.

Box 20

Folder

1-4

70 Scenes of Halloween, 1992-1993

Folder

5

Act Without Words - House reports

Folder

6

American Buffalo - Reviews/Articles, 1989-1990

Folder

7

Audio Tapes - Reviews 1992

Folder

8-9

Baltimore Waltz - Press releases (see also NAMES Project), 1992-1993

Folder

10-14

Bricklayers, 1991-1992

Folder

15-17

Cabaret Verboten, 1992-1993

Folder

18

Comeback - Poster

Folder

19

Daytrips - Articles/Reviews, 1990-1991

Folder

20

Development - Fiscal year, 1993

Folder

21

Development Gala - Season 1991-1992

Folder

22

Dracula - Poster

Folder

23-25

Evelyn The Polka King, 1992-1993

Folder

26

Financial reports - Season 1992-1993

Folder

27

Frankie Johnny in the Claire de Lune, Reviews/Articles, 1988-1989

Folder

28-29

Hartwood - Reviews/Articles, 1989-1990

Folder

30-32

Holiday Memories, 1992-1993

Folder

33

Illusions of Fantasy Mime Troupe - Poster

Box 21

Folder

1

Le Bourgeois Avant Garde, 1990-1991

Folder

2

Man Who Lived Underground

Folder

3

Maybe I'm Doing it Wrong, 1984-1985

Folder

4-7

Miss Ever's Boys, 1991-1992

Folder

8-9

NAMES Project Display - Articles (see also Baltimore Waltz)

Folder

10

Newspaper clippings, 1979-1988

Folder

11-13

Our Country's Good, 1991-1992

Folder

14

Painting It Red, 1988-1989

Folder

15

Playworks articles, 1989

Folder

16-17

Press releases, 1979-1988

Folder

18

Production history - 1980 through 1993

Folder

19-22

Publicity book, 1987-1988

Folder

23

Real Inspector Hound - Poster, 1977

Folder

24

Road to Mecca - Articles/Reviews, 1991

Folder

25

Season 1979 - Poster

Folder

26-30

Season 14-18, 1987-1992

Box 22

Folder

1

Steel Kiss - Articles/Reviews, 1990-1991

Folder

2

Subscription ads

Folder

3

Talk of the City newsletter, 1989-1992

Folder

4

Talk Radio - Articles/Reviews, 1988-1989

Folder

5

Tamer of Horses - Articles/Reviews, 1987-1988

Folder

6-8

Temptation - Articles/Reviews, 1992-1993

Folder

9

Theatre Sports - Articles/Reviews, 1991

Folder

10-12

Tuesday/
Act Without Words, 1991-1992

Folder

13

Unidentified Photos

Folder

14

Voice of the Prairie - Articles/Reviews, 1988-1989

Folder

15

Waiting for Lefty - Poster

Folder

16

Wings - Poster

Series V.Oversized Materials, 1979-1988

Scope and Content Notes:

This series is for all oversized materials in the collection. It contains posters, production scores, and floor plans. The materials are arranged alphabetical order.